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Joel Kojo

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Joel Kojo
Kojo with Esteghlal in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth (1998-08-21) 21 August 1998 (age 28)
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 PFC Navbahor
Number 28
Youth career
KK Adonteng Stars
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2021 Alay 59 (52)
2021–2023 Dordoi Bishkek 35 (14)
2023–202‌4 Dinamo Samarqand 41 (19)
2025–2026 Esteghlal 11 (2)
2025 → Neftchi Fergana (loan) 11 (3)
2026– PFC Navbahor 2 (0)
International career‡
2023– Kyrgyzstan 30 (11)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 31 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 5 September 2025

Joel Kojo (Russian: Джоэл Коджо; born 21 August 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Uzbekistani club PFC Navbahor. Born in Ghana, he plays for the Kyrgyzstan national team.

Club career

[edit]

Alay

[edit]

Kojo finished the 2018 season as the club's and the league's top scorer with 26 goals.[2]

Dordoi Bishkek

[edit]

On 11 January 2022, Dordoi Bishkek announced the signing of Kojo on a one-year contract.[3]

Kojo finished the 2022 season as the club's top scorer, scoring 10 goals in the league and once in the Kyrgyzstan Super Cup.[4] On 24 January 2023, Dordoi Bishkek announced the departure of Kojo following the expiration of his contract the previous November.[5]

Dinamo Samarqand

[edit]

On 27 February 2023, Uzbekistan Super League club Dinamo Samarqand announced the signing of Kojo on a one-year contract.[6]

On 29 March 2023, Kojo scored a hat-trick for Dinamo Samarqand in their 3–0 victory over Navbahor Namangan-2.[7]

Esteghlal

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On 11 January 2025, Persian Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal announced the signing of Kojo.[8] He scored his first goal for the club on 3 February during the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite match against Iraqi club Al Shorta in a 1–1 draw.

International career

[edit]

On 18 May 2023, Kojo was called up to the Kyrgyzstan national team for the first time as part of their 2023 CAFA Nations Cup squad.[9] On 16 June 2023, Kojo made his debut for Kyrgyzstan, coming on as a 58th minute substitute for Atay Dzhumashev in a 5–1 defeat to Iran.[10][11]

On 11 September 2023, Kojo scored his first international goals in a friendly against Kuwait.

On 25 January 2024, Kojo scored the only goal for Kyrgyzstan in their 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign in a 1–1 tie against Oman, a goal that directly killed off hopes of both his adopted country and Oman from advancing at the expense of Indonesia.

On 26 March 2024, Kojo scored his first international hat-trick during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Chinese Taipei in a 5–1 home win.

Personal life

[edit]

Born in Ghana, Kojo is a Ghanaian Muslim. He was naturalized by Kyrgyzstan and joined the Kyrgyzstan national team after competing in Kyrgyzstan for an extended period of time.[12]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 29 July 2026[13][11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Alay 2018 Kyrgyz Premier League 21266[b]12716
2019 24192[b]02619
2020 147—147
Total 5941816742
Dordoi Bishkek 2021 Kyrgyz Premier League 1342[b]1155
2022 22102[b]02410
Total 3514413915
Dinamo Samarqand 2023 Uzbekistan Pro League 171164—2315
2024 Uzbekistan Super League 24833—2711
Total 411997—5026
Esteghlal 2024–25 Persian Gulf Pro League 112303[c]1173
Neftchi Fergana 2025 Uzbekistan Super League 11300—113
Navbahor Namangan 2026 Uzbekistan Super League 2000—20
Career total 1597912715318689

International

[edit]
As of match played 5 September 2025[11]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Kyrgyzstan 202392
2024148
202571
Total3011
Scores and results list Kyrgyzstan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kojo goal.[11]
List of international goals scored by Joel Kojo
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
111 September 2023The Sevens Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Kuwait
2–1
3–1
Friendly
2
3–1
39 January 2024Al Egla Training Facility, Doha, Qatar Vietnam
1–0
2–1
Friendly
425 January 2024Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar Oman
1–1
1–1
2023 AFC Asian Cup
526 March 2024Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Chinese Taipei
1–0
5–1
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
6
2–0
7
3–0
810 September 2024Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan
1–0
2–3
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
919 November 2024Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Iran
1–2
2–3
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
10
2–2
1130 August 2025JAR Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Turkmenistan
1–1
1–1
2025 CAFA Nations Cup

Honours

[edit]

Alay

Dordoi Bishkek

Esteghlal

Neftchi Fergana

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Joel Kojo". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  2. ↑ "Жоел Кожо из Ганы — лучший бомбардир чемпионата Кыргызстана по футболу (список)". sport.akipress.org (in Russian). Sport Akipress. 7 November 2018. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Кожо Жоэл стал игроком "Дордоя"". fc-dordoi.kg (in Russian). FC Dordoi Bishkek. 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "Кожо Жоэль - лучший бомбардир "Дордоя" в этом сезоне". fc-dordoi.kg (in Russian). FC Dordoi Bishkek. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Форвард из Ганы Кожо Жоэль покинул "Дордой"". fc-dordoi.kg (in Russian). FC Dordoi Bishkek. 24 January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "В"ДинамоВ" жамоаси Про лига янги мавсуми олдидан ўз сафига янги ўйинчиларни Т›ўшиб олишда давом этмоТ›да". fcdinamo.uz (in Uzbek). FC Dinamo Samarqand. 27 February 2023. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Navbahor Farm 0-3 Dinamo". pfl.uz. Uzbekistan Professional Football League. 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  8. ↑ "Here we go Joel Kojo". instagram.com/esteghlal.fc.official/. Esteghlal F.C. Instagram. 11 January 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "СПИСОК ИГРОКОВ, ВЫЗВАННЫХ В СБОРНУЮ КЫРГЫЗСТАНА" (in Russian). Кыргызский футбольный союз. 18 May 2023. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Joel Kojo debuts for Kyrgyzstan in heavy defeat to Iran after ditching Ghana". ghanaweb.com. Ghana Web. 17 June 2023. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Joel Kojo". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "Akun Instagram Kojo Joel Striker Muslim Kyrgyzstan Diserbu Netizen Indonesia Pasca Samakan Kedudukan". Tribun Priangan (in Indonesian). 26 January 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  13. ↑ Joel Kojo at Soccerway
  14. ↑ "Жоел Кожо из Ганы — лучший бомбардир чемпионата Кыргызстана по футболу (список)". sport.akipress.org (in Russian). Aki Press. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  15. ↑ "Instagram".
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